Ajit Kumar Panja

Ajit Kumar Panja
Chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress
In office 1998 (1998)–2001
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Mamata Banerjee
Member of the Indian Parliament for Calcutta North East
In office 1984-2004
Preceded by	Sunil Maitra
Succeeded by	Mohammed Salim
Union Minister of State for External Affairs
In office 13 October 1999 - 16 March 2001
In office 1 July 2002 - 13 May 2004
Union Minister of State for Coal (Independent Charge)
In office 8 July 1993 - 28 April 1996
Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting (Independent Charge)
In office 19 July 1991 - 11 March 1993
Union Minister of State for Finance
In office 3 January 1988 - 4 May 1989
Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting (Independent Charge)
In office 28 April 1986 - 2 January 1988
Union Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies
In office 12 March 1986 - 17 April 1986
Union Minister of State for Planning
In office 5 March 1985 - 21 March 1986
President of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee
In office 1980–1981
Preceded by	A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury
Succeeded by	Ananda Gopal Mukherjee
Constituency	Burtola
Minister for Health, Family Planning and Water Supply, Calcutta Corporation, Municipal Affairs & Forest Development Government of West Bengal
In office 2 April 1972 - 21 June 1977
Minister for Judiciary and Parliamentary Affairs Government of West Bengal
In office 5 April 1971 - 21 March 1972
MLA
In office 1971-1977 – 1982-1984
Preceded by	Nikhil Das
Succeeded by	Sadhan Pandey
Constituency	Burtola
Personal details
Born	(1936-09-13)13 September 1936 Kolkata, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	14 November 2008(2008-11-14) (aged 72) Kolkata
Political party	All India Trinamool Congress (1998-2008)
Other political affiliations	Indian National Congress (1958-1998)
Spouse	Jaya Panja
Relatives	Ranjit Kumar Panja (Brother)
Residence(s)	Burtola, Kolkata
Website	http://www.ajitpanja.net/
As of 30 July, 2008 Source: Calcutta Yellow Pages

Ajit Kumar Panja (13 September 1936 – 14 November 2008) was a Union minister of state in the Government of India. He was a member of Indian National Congress party but left it to join Trinamool Congress. He was born in Calcutta, and studied law at the Scottish Church College, Calcutta and at the Lincoln's Inn. His Native village was a small village in Burdwan district, named Majigram. A lawyer by profession, he authored many books. He was also a stage actor who enacted the role of Ramakrishna Paramahansa in Kolkata.

Life and career

Ajit Kumar Panja was born in Kolkata on 13 September 1936. His father was Dhanapati Panja.

Apart from political career he started performing on stage theatre in the role of "Sri Ramakrishma Paramhansa" in the play "Sri Sri Ramakrishna" (made according to the story of Noti Binodini written by Late. Brajendra Kishore Dey) organised by Kolkata High Court Advocate's Drama Association in India. The play was staged in London and USA (Washington, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles).

Ajit Panja died of oral cancer on 14 November 2008 at the Peerless Hospital.

Positions held

• 1971,1972-77 Member, West Bengal Legislative Assembly and 1982–84
• 1971-72 Cabinet Minister, Judiciary and Parliamentary Affairs (Home), West Bengal
• 1972-77 Cabinet Minister, Health and Family Planning and Water Supply,
• 1973 Member, All India Congress Committee (A.I.C.C.)
• 1977 President, District Congress Committee (D.C.C.) (I), North Calcutta, West Bengal
• 1980-81 President, Pradesh Congress Committee (P.C.C.)(I), West Bengal
• 1984 Elected to 8th Lok Sabha
• 1985-86 Union Minister of State, Planning
• 1986 Union Minister of State, Food and Civil Supplies
• 1986-88 Union Minister of State, Information and Broadcasting (Independent Charge)
• 1988-89 Union Minister of State, Finance
• 1989 Re-elected to 9th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
• 1990 Member, Committee of Privileges Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Finance
• 1990-91 Member, Committee on Public Accounts Member, Informal Consultative

Committee, Railway Zone

• 1991 Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (3rd term)
• 1991-93 Union Minister of State, Information and Broadcasting (Independent Charge)
• 1993-95 Union Minister of State, Coal (Independent Charge)
• 1996 Re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha (4th term)
• 1996-97 Member, Committee on Energy Member, Business Advisory Committee
• 1998 Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (5th term) Chief Whip, West Bengal Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party
• 1998-99 Member, Committee on Industry Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of

Urban Affairs and Employment Chairman, West Bengal Trinamool Congress

• 1999 Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (6th term)
• 13 Oct 1999 to 2004 Union Minister of State, External Affairs

Books published

• Encephalitis Attack in West Bengal
• CPM Gun Shoot to Kill (English and Bengali)
• Ganatantra Hatya (Bengali)
• Siksha Khethre Nairajya (Bengali)
• Sansad Bichitra (Bengali)
• PM (Sh. V.P. Singh) challenged to prove charges (English)
• Dunkel Agreement (Bengali)
• Unemployment Problems in India How to solve it (Bengali)
• Era of Excellence of Narasimha Rao Govt 4th Yr-Major Achievements and Decisions
• Mining Medicines Hand Book for Health Workers and Mine Workers

External links

• Ajit Panja
• Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website